App Store Apps

Free iPhone and iPad streaming goes live for everyone in latest Spotify update

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 27, 2016

Spotify, the popular Swedish startup, has upped the ante in the music space when it said recently it would enable free streaming on smartphones and tablets.

Desktop users have been able to stream ad-supported music free of charge since Spotify's inception, but mobile streaming has always required a $9.99 Spotify Premium subscription. This ad-supported free desktop tier has now migrated to mobile.

Now available on the App Store, the new Spotify version 0.9.2 fixes many bugs and flips the switch on free mobile streaming for everyone (they've been rolling this out gradually), here are your caveats...

YouTube for iOS finally gains iOS 7 keyboard support, improved search and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 7, 2014

Google's YouTube app for the iPhone and iPad has been lacking in many requests and could definitely use a little help from the user interface design standpoint.

For instance, why do I have to tap the magnifier icon in order to search whereas there should be a tappable search bar instead, which is more or less the norm in iOS app design these days?

A new update, now available in the App Store, leaves those questions unanswered.

On the other hand, the release improves upon other lacking areas. For starters, it's finally gained the stock iOS 7 keyboard (what took so long?), immediately bringing YouTube more up to date with iOS 7 aesthetics. Search capabilities have been improved upon and there are also other improvements concerning captions and subtitles...

Yahoo launches News Digest iOS app, new Food and Tech website hubs for normals

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Today at its CES 2014 keynote in Las Vegas, the Internet giant Yahoo announced new Tech and Food hubs and introduced a new iOS application, News Digest. The free iPhone and iPad download utilizes a technology from Yahoo's March 2013 acquisition of mobile news startup Summly that distills information down to small gists.

The company has since rolled out Summly to some of its existing iOS apps, but this is the first time Yahoo's iPhone app tapped the summarization tech to the full extent to "get you in the know in no time".

It's quite ingenious - all of the hallmarks of great iOS 7 design are present: it's clean, elegant, self explanatory and updates you cleverly on the biggest news stories twice a day, once in the morning at 8am and once in the evening at 6pm EST.

Does the world need another news app? Existing App Store offerings more often than not overwhelm with information you may not necessarily care about. If all you need are key headlines of the day and quick gists presented in a finite and visual manner, then by all means give News Digest a whirl, you won't regret it...

Street Notes will get you ready for the most organized trip of your life

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

I know I’ve mentioned before how much I love lists. I am a big fan of organizing everything. I know it is silly, but I am not a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl. I like to know what is coming, even when I’m trying to plan a trip to go sit on a beach and do nothing.

Street Notes is an organization app that lets you prepare for your trip in advance by collecting and storing notes, websites, and other information to get you ready for the best, most organized trip of your life...

Loot Hero grinds its way onto your iOS device

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

I am a former World of Warcraft gamer. Technically, I’m a current player. I just haven’t logged in for a while. I know how monotonous grinding can be. Kill 10 of these to earn this token. Skin 20 of these to get another reward. Sometimes, you just want to loot without having to waste time killing mobs, one-by-one.

Loot Hero is a role-playing “grind fest” that takes the boring parts out and leaves you with nothing but super fast kills and lots of rewards…

Amazon updates Kindle app with Flashcards and several improvements

Cody Lee ∙ January 6, 2014

Amazon posted a major update for its iOS Kindle client this afternoon, bringing the app to version 4.1. The update includes a number of new features, like Flashcards for students, and several improvements for things like search, X-Ray and Dictionary.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in 4.1 is the new Flashcards feature. It's only available for print replica textbooks, but students can use the feature to convert important terms from X-Ray, or their own notes, into flashcard sets for studying...

RC Trackpad turns your iPhone into a trackpad for your Mac

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Using remote applications on your mobile device to control your desktop computer can be very helpful. It increases productivity, gives you more space to display things, and makes it possible for you to be a lazy bum who won’t get off the couch to check your email.

RC Trackpad is a remote app that gives you access to programs on your computer, lets you adjust your music playback, and turns your iPhone or iPad into a trackpad so you can control your computer’s mouse from across the room…

Day 12 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts event: The Rolling Stones EP

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

It's day 12, and what we assume to be the final day, of the big 12 Days of Gifts event. Apple has removed Mr. Crab and has posted a new item for download. Today's free gift is an EP (or extended play) from the English rock band The Rolling Stones.

The band really needs no introduction. These guys have been making music for over 50 years, and are ranked #8 on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists" chart. They're legends, and widely considered one of the best rock bands that ever lived...

Apple reportedly acquires burst photo app-maker SnappyLabs

Cody Lee ∙ January 5, 2014

Apple has reportedly acquired app developer SnappyLabs, the one-man photo technology startup behind the app SnappyCam. For those unfamiliar with the title, it was a popular camera app that allowed users to take full-resolution pictures at 20 to 30 frames per second.

SnappyCam mysteriously disappeared from the App Store, shortly after founder John Papandriopoulos announced that he had achieved a breakthrough with “discrete cosine transform JPG science.” He essentially reinvented the JPG image format, and word has it Apple wanted in…

Day 11 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts: Illusion Labs’ Mr. Crab

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

We are nearing the end of the big 12 Days of Gifts event. We're now on day 11, and Apple has removed the free Sesame Street episode and posted a new item for download. Today’s free gift is the game Mr. Crab by Illusion Labs.

For those who haven't played it yet, Mr. Crab is a popular vertical arcade game for iOS that auto-scrolls from side to side as you jump your way through levels. It's a deadly combination of bright graphics and addictive gameplay...

Apps of the week: Wallpaper Fix, Numtris, Feels, and more…

Lory Gil ∙ Updated March 19, 2018

The holidays have officially ended for me. My family has gone home, the decorations are mostly packed away, and my New Year’s hangover is almost gone. Now, it's time to focus on the next year and all of the things I want to improve on.

Whether you are looking for an app to help break bad habits, a way to make your wallpaper finally fit on your iPhone, or a console game you can take on the go, we have a list of apps and games we think you will enjoy…